Archive for November, 2011

If you need help with an Immigration matter or are facing an Immigration case in NY and would like assistance or more information, contact Susan B. Henner at 1-888-733-0141 or (914) 358-5200, or by email at Susan@sbhenner.com.

Citizens of Nowhere By Amanda Wilson WASHINGTON, Oct 25, 2011 (IPS) – When Mona Kareem, a member of the Bidoun population of Kuwait, was 11 years old, a neighbor Kuwaiti woman asked her where she was from. When Kareem answered, "I am from Bidoun," the woman laughed at her. "There is no country called Bidoun. There is no Bidoun."

That was the moment, Kareem said, when she came to the harsh realization that being Bidoun and being Kuwaiti were not the same thing.

Kareem shared her story Tuesday at a conference on statelessness and gender discrimination organized by Refugees International (RI) at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). It was, she said, the first time anyone from Kuwait’s Bidoun community had ever shared their story in the U.S.

Estimated to be about 100,000, the Bidoun, which means "without" in Arabic, live their lives without any nationality in Kuwait and other states. Although they are culturally and linguistically no different from Kuwaiti citizens, Bidoun are treated as "illegal residents" there, RI reports.

Their stateless status blocks them from access to the privileges and rights Kuwaiti citizens enjoy such as drivers’ licenses and birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates.

At the conference, international human rights advocates urged countries around the world to take action on issues of statelessness, a legally invisible status that United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Antonia Guterres, said Tuesday is "probably the most forgotten global human rights problem in today’s international agenda".

According to RI, about 12 million people worldwide lack effective citizenship, a status that deprives them of rights such as legal representation, identity documents, and access to public schools. And in many countries, discrimination against women in nationality laws aggravate or actively create statelessness.

For example, Kuwaiti women, unless they are divorced or widowed, cannot pass on their citizenship to their children, according to RI. In this way, many children of Bidoun fathers inherit their fathers’ statelessness.

Forty nations in the world have explicit gender discrimination in their laws, and 30 nations have nationality laws in which mothers are not able to convey their nationality to children when they are married to someone stateless or of a different nationality.

These laws create situations in which "statelessness is actively being created because mothers cannot pass their nationality," Guterres said. He urged the 30 countries to amend their nationality laws to allow "all of the world’s mothers to convey their nationality to their children in the same way as fathers".

Michel Gabaudan, president of RI, emphasized the global nature of statelessness and pointed to the Roma people of Europe and Southern Sudanese currently living in Khartoum. Southern Sudanese in Khartoum are "at risk of becoming stateless if the state does not adopt a measure to establish citizenship", Gabaudan said.

Sonia Pierre, a Dominican activist of Haitian decent, also shared her story Tuesday. Speaking in Spanish through an interpreter, she told stories of people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic who have, since 2010, been retroactively stripped of their Dominican citizenship. RI is urging the Dominican Republic to stop denationalizing Dominicans of Haitian descent.

As we all know, in order to save the U.S. from fiscal ruin, Congress is desperate to cut federal spending.

That’s why the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, a bipartisan 12-member group also known as the “Super Committee,” has been tasked with proposing how to cut $1.2 trillion over the next decade. There will certainly be a lot of difficult choices to make.

But here is an easy place for the Super Committee to start: cut funding for out-of-control spending on three immigration programs – 287(g), Secure Communities (“S-COMM”) and detention.

The ACLU, joining with dozens of organizations and groups across the country, has made these recommendations to the Super Committee in two separate letters sent today and yesterday.

One letter argues that a Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) program known as 287(g), which deputizes state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws, should not continue to receive funding. A report from the Government Accountability Office concluded that the program lacked key internal controls and performance objectives. Another report by the DHS Office of the Inspector (OIG) set forth 33 recommendations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to address in order to ensure the program’s integrity, economy and efficiency.

Still, despite the fact that the 287(g) program is fraught with systematic problems, which ICE has failed to fix, the program has received increased funding from $5 million in 2006 to $68 million in 2010. A total of $251.6 million has been spent over the past six years on a program that is clearly flawed.

November 2011 – New Rochelle, NY – On November 14, 2011, Attorney Susan B. Henner will be interviewed by the Business Council of Westchester President and CEO Dr. Marsha Gordon on WVOX’s ‘Westchester Means Business’ radio show.

The topic being discussed on the show will be Immigration issues in Westchester County and the growth of Attorney Henner’s Immigration Law Practice in White Plains, NY. The show will air on WVOX 1460 AM at 2:00PM on Monday, November 14, 2011. You may listen to the show on your radio dial or tune in online at http://www.wvox.com and select the "Listen Live" icon.

Attorney Henner commented on her invitation to the show by stating "I am honored to be selected to participate on this wonderful show. We will strive to inform the public regarding updates in immigration law and changes with respect to the law. The show will be useful to anyone seeking to learn more about immigration policies in Westchester County, as well as businesses seeking to hire foreign employees or those who are sponsoring family to come to the United States. Useful information about deportation and the new laws relating to relief from deportation will also be discussed.”

Often coming to America can mean better working and living conditions for families who are joining friends or family already living in the United States. An Immigration Attorney like Susan Henner can make obtaining your green card or work visa faster and easier.

“Ms. Henner was an excellent attorney. My company first used her in order to obtain an H1B visa for an employee. Then, we used her again to obtain green cards for several employees. She was always helpful and responsive about the cases and she knew the law well. We would highly recommend her to others.” ~ Anonymous

If you need help with an Immigration matter in NY, contact Susan B. Henner at 1-888-733-0141 and (914) 358-5200, or by email at Susan@sbhenner.com

A mistake in your Immigration case can mean the difference between keeping your family together, and being forced to separate under very stressful conditions. Having an experienced and highly qualified Immigration attorney by your side is a must.

“We called Susan Henner after our previous lawyer completely screwed up our case. She quickly explained what was wrong and filed the correct papers. We could have saved so much money had we known about Susan in the first place. Use her, she is trustworthy and fair!” ~ Cassandra

If you need help with an Immigration matter in NY, contact Susan B. Henner at 1-888-733-0141 and (914) 358-5200, or by email at Susan@sbhenner.com

Having a bilingual immigration attorney who also possesses extensive knowledge about the Immigration proceedings you may be facing, can be invaluable when you are facing such a life-changing event.

“I have been asked for immigration attorneys in my role in Human Resources and have found that Ms. Henner has always gotten the highest ratings from the people I have referred. The fact that she speaks Spanish has put some of the referrals at ease but the fact that she can answer their questions and help with all their immigrations issues is what they seem to like best!” Anonymous

If you need help with an Immigration matter in NY, contact Susan B. Henner at 1-888-733-0141 and (914) 358-5200, or by email at Susan@sbhenner.com

Susan B. Henner has the professional knowledge and makes every effort to keep her clients well-informed during their Immigration process. She knows that having an Immigration Issue unresolved is a stressful time for the entire family.

“Ms. Henner has taken care of my entire immigration process with grace, professionalism, commitment and pride. She has been available for phone calls and emails and was also able to explain the terms and conditions of next steps necessary for my case to succeed. What’s very important is her attention to detail and thoroughness and in-depth knowledge of the U.S. immigration law. This well-experienced attorney is definitely trustworthy and I would recommend contacting her office to any person who is serious of his / her future in this great country. Surely, Susan is the best attorney I have ever known and worked with.“ ~ Jakub G.